EU referendum: Staffordshire and the Black Country 'most Brexit areas of Britain'

A major study of voting records from polling experts shows how each area of the UK is likely to vote in June's EU referendum.

South Staffordshire has the highest proportion of Brexit supporters, while Sandwell also showed a high proportion of people favouring 'leave'.

Other areas of the West Midlands - including Dudley and Wolverhampton - were said to fall into the second highest category of people backing Brexit.

Meanwhile the areas with the highest support for staying in the EU featured towns with a large population of young people and graduates.

These areas include Oxford, Cambridge, Bristol, Edinburgh and Brighton, while the most pro-EU authority in the country is the inner-London borough of Lambeth.

The study by academics at the University of Bristol was based on responses from 60,000 people in YouGov polls, census data and results from the 2014 European Parliament elections and last summer's General Election.

It attempted to work out how people are likely to vote based on their age, educational qualifications and where they live.

Scottish and Welsh voters were considered among the most pro-EU voters in the UK, while voters with fewer qualifications are less likely to vote to stay in the EU than those with degrees, according to the study.

The analysis confirmed assumptions that the older the voter, the more likely they are to vote to leave the EU.

In a stark contrast, the oldest voters are on average three times more likely to vote for Brexit than the youngest voters.

The analysis also found 'substantial differences' over how middle-aged and older people will vote in the referendum depending on their educational qualifications.

Bristol academics Professor Ron Johnston, Professor Kelwyn Jones and David Manley wrote that their study showed 'some very clear geographical patterning'.

"At one extreme are the two clusters of local authorities where support for leaving the EU is very low – in almost all of London and most of Scotland.

"Against this, the areas with most support for Brexit are concentrated along much of England's east coast plus some of the older industrial areas - notably in Yorkshire and the West Midlands - with pockets along the south coast too (mainly local authorities with large retired populations)."

Last month data released by Yougov placed Sandwell 9th in a list of the most Eurosceptic borough's in the country.

Staffordshire was ranked 18th, with Wolverhampton and Dudley described as 'leaning Eurosceptic' in 46th and 64th place respectively.